Tempo Launches Mainnet with Machine Payments Protocol for AI Agents
Tempo, the payments-focused blockchain incubated by Stripe and Paradigm, has officially launched its mainnet, marking a significant milestone in the infrastructure for agentic commerce. The network now offers public developer endpoints, enabling broader participation in its ecosystem.
In collaboration with Stripe, Tempo has introduced the Machine Payments Protocol (MPP), an open standard designed to facilitate autonomous agent-to-agent payments. This protocol aims to provide AI agents with a standardized, rail-agnostic framework for seamless transactions.
The mainnet launch follows a public testnet that debuted in December 2025. Tempo's $500 million funding round at a $5 billion valuation in October 2025 underscores its ambitious vision, with design partners including Anthropic, DoorDash, Mastercard, and Visa.
Competition is intensifying, however, as Circle develops its own Layer-1 chain, Arc, with backing from Visa, BlackRock, and Goldman Sachs. Matt Huang, Tempo's co-founder, acknowledges the nascent state of agentic payments, emphasizing the ongoing exploration of optimal structures.